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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Are 914's unflippable?
Posted by: ripper911 Jan 23 2015, 02:09 PM
I had an interesting conversation at the gas station this morning. This guy walks all the way across the parking lot to tell me about this one time in Germany when his friend was driving a 914 and pulled the hand brake at 100km/hr, turned, jumped two train tracks sideways, and kept going. He says that 914's can't flip.
Is this a true statement, short of rolling off of a cliff or something?
Posted by: stevegm Jan 23 2015, 02:12 PM
I had an interesting conversation at the gas station this morning. This guy walks all the way across the parking lot to tell me about this one time in Germany when his friend was driving a 914 and pulled the hand brake at 100km/hr, turned, jumped two train tracks sideways, and kept going. He says that 914's can't flip.
Is this a true statement, short of rolling off of a cliff or something?
Everything is flippable. Bought one last summer and sold it a few weeks later. No seriously. It's actually not that it isn't flippable. Rather, it's like a cat. It always lands on its tires. :-)
Ya, they can be flipped. It seems like I have a photo somewhere of one on it's roof. I'll try to find it.
Posted by: shoguneagle Jan 23 2015, 02:17 PM
Just ask drivers who think they know how to drive, even upside down. Yes, they can be flipped! If the situation happened as described, the driver is extremely, extremely lucky!
Posted by: GeorgeRud Jan 23 2015, 02:20 PM
With the mid engine and low center of gravity, it would be about as 'unflippable' as any car out there. However, if the prices keep going up, even Wayne Carini may start 'flipping' them!
Posted by: cjgb914 Jan 23 2015, 02:21 PM
Go read Bob's (Naro914) story about "Huey"
C
Posted by: fixer34 Jan 23 2015, 02:40 PM
Nothing is foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
Although I think you would have to work pretty hard to roll one of these.
Posted by: raynekat Jan 23 2015, 03:16 PM
Silly discussion.
In normal cornering or even an uncontrolled skid or spin, a 914, even on race tires, can't flip.
That said, hit a curb (or an immovable object) sideways at a high rate of speed, any car including a 914 will flip.
Posted by: last337 Jan 23 2015, 03:21 PM
I was thinking this thread was about buying/reselling for a profit. Haha, I think that is a whole other thread on its own 
Posted by: Mark Henry Jan 23 2015, 03:24 PM
Silly discussion.
In normal cornering or even an uncontrolled skid or spin, a 914, even on race tires, can't flip.
That said, hit a curb (or an immovable object) sideways at a high rate of speed, any car including a 914 will flip.
Hit gravel the wrong way and you can flip anything.
Posted by: johnhora Jan 23 2015, 04:18 PM
Hell... I flipped when I read this 
Posted by: Woody Jan 23 2015, 04:22 PM
I've had mine up on two tires before. I think SirAndy has a video of himself way up on two wheels. If you try hard enough or screw up bad enough you can absolutely flip one. Imagine sliding sideways and having the tires suddenly grab on something like a curb. Theyll flip.
Posted by: toolguy Jan 23 2015, 04:46 PM
Oh yes, and I've seen it happen. .
I saw a 914-6 go upside down at Riverside during a time trial in the early 80's. . A guy I knew from San Diego PCA car. . his girlfriend was driving his car. . . she went sideways in the esses, wheels caught the lip of the dirt and it flipped right over. . I think he is a member here but have not seen him post. .
Posted by: DBCooper Jan 23 2015, 05:22 PM
I had an interesting conversation at the gas station this morning. This guy walks all the way across the parking lot to tell me about this one time in Germany when his friend was driving a 914 and pulled the hand brake at 100km/hr, turned, jumped two train tracks sideways, and kept going. He says that 914's can't flip.
Is this a true statement, short of rolling off of a cliff or something?
Slid it across railroad tracks sideways? TWO tracks? Tracks recessed into the asphalt? Then big deal, so what? Raised above the asphalt? That's BS gas station conversation, so nod and mumble "wow, imagine that", get in and leave.
Posted by: flyer86d Jan 23 2015, 05:49 PM
My sister flipped her hot rod 1973 2 liter at Lime Rock. Yes you can flip one if you provoke it.
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 23 2015, 05:52 PM
I know of at least two that have flipped. One on the track (well, actually going off the track) and one on the street hitting a ditch.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Jan 23 2015, 06:02 PM
Rich has been a member here for a long, long time. Hasn't posted much since finally (after 30? years) selling the remains of that Six.
You can definitely flip a 914. You can even, if you do it just wrong, flip one on level pavement without the assistance of curbs or gravel. But usually it takes hitting something to flip them over.
--DD
Posted by: toolguy Jan 23 2015, 07:21 PM
That was him. . wasn't going to mention name. .
Posted by: carr914 Jan 23 2015, 07:25 PM
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 23 2015, 07:31 PM
When pigs fly ...
Posted by: JStroud Jan 23 2015, 08:00 PM
I sold my yellow car as a roller.......to a guy who flipped his on the freeway.
Then I bought a 70....did some work to it.......then flipped it. 
So I've had experience with both 
Posted by: r_towle Jan 23 2015, 10:09 PM
Rocket flipped it almost all the way over, but the tree stopped him.
Posted by: brant Jan 24 2015, 01:00 AM
I've personally seen one -6 hit another -6! On the track and flip over the first/..
Posted by: RobW Jan 24 2015, 05:37 AM
BP nearly flipped his on race tires at an AX in a hairpin. The car went from 4 to 2 at greater than 45 deg, and back to 4 thanks to instinct on his part.
At first, I was amazed.... then when it sunk in what had just happened (I was co-running the AX), I was really concerned. We immediately changed the track for safety.
You can absolutely flip a 914, or anything. It probably has a 5 star or equivalent roll over rating though.
Posted by: ripper911 Jan 24 2015, 07:28 AM
It just goes to show that any car can flip given the right conditions, it just takes a bit more to happen to a 914 than most vehicles. 
I'm surprised that nobody's posted a pic of a rotisserie yet. 
Posted by: green914 Jan 24 2015, 09:44 AM
Posted by: SirAndy Jan 24 2015, 11:08 AM
At first, I was amazed.... then when it sunk in what had just happened (I was co-running the AX), I was really concerned. We immediately changed the track for safety.
You can absolutely flip a 914, or anything. It probably has a 5 star or equivalent roll over rating though.
I remember Bill's two wheel adventure, that was scary indeed.
Here's a video of my two wheel experience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhHECZDHmfw
Posted by: porbmw Jan 24 2015, 01:12 PM
Nice!
And nice car!
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